Liberty Institute Releases Judge's Final Order Confirming Kountze Cheerleaders Victory In Bible Banner Case

KOUNTZE, Texas, May 8, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Today, Hardin County District Court Judge Steven Thomas entered an order granting the Kountze Cheerleaders a victory in the seven-month-long case over the permissibility of displaying run-through banners with Bible messages at Kountze ISD sporting events.  The cheerleaders, their parents and attorneys will hold a press conference to discuss the long-awaited victory in Beaumont, TX, at 5 PM CT Today.

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The Court's order declares:

• "The Kountze cheerleaders' banners that included religious messages and were displayed during the 2012 football season were constitutionally permissible."
• "Neither the Establishment Clause nor any other law prohibits the cheerleaders from using religious-themed banners at school sporting events.  Neither the Establishment Clause nor any other law requires Kountze I.S.D. to prohibit the inclusion of religious-themed banners at school sporting events."

To view the Hardin County District Court Judge's order online, please visit: https://www.libertyinstitute.org/document.doc?id=79

"The Court's order today that the cheerleaders' run-through banners are constitutionally permissible vindicates our clients' rights and brings this case to a successful end," said Roger Byron, an attorney with Liberty Institute. "We are pleased that the judge ruled to protect the cheerleaders' display of banners with religious messages at sporting events. This is a great victory, not only for these cheerleaders, but for religious liberty of student leaders across the country."

In an effort to share positive and uplifting messages with players and fans, high school and middle school cheerleaders in Kountze, TX, decided to paint Bible verses on their student-made run-through banners at their school football games. After receiving a complaint from the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the Kountze ISD superintendent banned the messages. Then, in Sept. 2012, Beaumont attorney David Starnes and Liberty Institute filed a lawsuit, Coti Matthews on behalf of her minor child, Macy Matthews, et al., v. Kountze Independent School District, on behalf of Kountze ISD cheerleaders and their parents.  On October 18, 2012, the court granted a temporary injunction allowing student-made religious banners to continue until a final decision in the case.

"We especially appreciate the efforts of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who intervened into the case in support of the cheerleaders," said Hiram Sasser, Liberty Institute's Director of Litigation.  "The extra efforts of Deputy Solicitor General Adam Aston were instrumental in the successful resolution of this case."

Liberty Institute is a nonprofit legal group dedicated to defending and restoring religious liberty across America — in our schools, for our churches and throughout the public arena. Liberty's vision is to reestablish religious liberty in accordance with the principles of our Founding Fathers. For information, visit www.LibertyInstitute.org.

SOURCE Liberty Institute

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Step into the shadowy world of Espionage! SPY: The Secret World of Espionage Opens Saturday at The Franklin Institute

PHILADELPHIA, May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Franklin Institute's newest exhibition, SPY: The Secret World of Espionage opens to the public on Saturday, May 4, for a limited time.  Extraordinarily rare treasures drawn from world's leading intelligence agencies -- the CIA, the FBI, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), as well as the immense private collection of intelligence historian H. Keith Melton, will be unlocked and on exhibit – many for the first time ever - in the Mandell Center at The Franklin Institute through October 6.  PECO is the Presenting Sponsor of the SPY exhibition, which grants unprecedented access into the highly-secreted world of the CIA and features over 200 historical artifacts and authentic espionage-related gadgets, including the scripts and studio documents from the real life mission that inspired the Academy Award winning film, Argo. To coincide with the Philadelphia premiere of SPY: The Secret World of Espionage, Melton has just published S py Sites of Philadelphia, which takes readers through two and a half centuries of Espionage in the City of Brotherly Love. 

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"Philadelphia has long been a hotbed of spy activity over the years, and even today our fascination with the mysterious world of espionage continues," said Dennis M. Wint, President  & CEO of The Franklin Institute. "The extensive collection of artifacts, documents, tools and interactive displays in SPY so vividly tell the intriguing and important tales of espionage that have shaped our world today."

Drawn from the recently de-classified collection of the CIA are objects ranging from a saddle used by a CIA team member in Afghanistan, following the attacks of 9/11 to the Cockpit of the A-12 Oxcart Spy Plane from 1962, one of only nine remaining in the world.  The exhibit also features highlights from the 10,000-plus personal artifact collection of H. Keith Melton, including the actual Ice Axe used to kill Leon Trotsky, one of the founders of the Russian revolution. Visitors to SPY will discover the real-life evolution of spy technology and experience life as a spy by navigating through an actual laser field, using voice altering technologies to conceal their voice and creating their very own spy disguise. 

Among the extraordinarily rare items are:

From the CIA Museum:

• Insectothopter, the world's first insect-sized unmanned aerial vehicle used to gather intelligence-from the air   
• Charlie the Catfish, one of two CIA Robotic Catfish, used to explore the use of unmanned underwater vehicles for aquatic missions
• Pigeon camera, a camera small and light enough to be carried by a pigeon
• Cockpit of the A-12 Oxcart Spy Plane, one of only nine remaining in the world
• An original Presidential Daily Brief Binder

From the collection of H. Keith Melton:

• Enigma Machine, a cipher machine used to develop nearly unbreakable codes by the German Army during WWII  which led to the development of the world's first super computer
• "Sleeping Beauty" motorized semi-submersible from WWII 
• Wel-Bike-a rapid deployment collapsible motorcycle used by Allied forces during WWII
• Picasso Lithograph of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, 1952
• Dead Drop Rat, used during the Cold War to hold a wad of money or roll of film

Hi-resolution exhibit and artifact images are available for download at: http://www.fi.edu/press/spy/ ?
User: press; Password: espionage

SPY: The Secret World of Espionage at The Franklin Institute
May 4, 2013 – October 6, 2013

TICKET INFORMATION
EXHIBIT HOURS

Sunday - Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
-Last admission 3:30 p.m.

Thursday – Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
-Last admission 7:00 p.m.

TICKET PRICES
Daytime Admissions

Adult: $28.00; Children ages 3-11: $19.00
Daytime tickets also include museum general admission.

Evening Admissions
Thursday - Saturday only | 5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Adult: $18.00; Children ages 3-11: $13.00

Evening tickets include admission to SPY only.

Tickets are timed and dated, and advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended.  For more information on purchasing individual or discounted group tickets please call 215-448-1200 or visit www.fi.edu. 

BASE Entertainment (Producer) BASE develops, produces and manages intellectual properties generated for live entertainment stages in North America, Asia and Brazil. BASE's current production activity in Las Vegas includes the following:  Rock Of Ages at the Venetian,  Peepshow at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Jersey Boys at The Paris, Absinthe at Caesars Palace, Defending the Caveman and Million Dollar Quartet (opening February 2013), at Harrah's.  BASE also presented an exclusive holiday engagement of the all new Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Spectacular production at The Palazzo. Previous production activity in Las Vegas includes: Phantom at The Venetian, Wayne Brady - Making It Up at The Venetian, and Stomp Out Loud at Planet Hollywood.  In addition, BASE operates the Showroom and PH Live at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.  At Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, BASE programs both the Grand Theater, previously home to both The Lion King and Wicked, and the Sands Theater, where Jersey Boys is currently playing (in partnership with Dodger Properties and Showtime).  In Brazil, BASE, in partnership with Geo Eventos, recently produced Priscilla Queen of the Desert in Sao Paulo in March 2012.  Spy: The Secret World of Espionage represents the premiere museum quality exhibition developed and presented by BASE.  BASE Entertainment's headquarters are in New York, and its founders include industry veterans Brian Becker and Scott Zeiger.  For more information please visit www.BASEentertainment.com.

About the Franklin Institute 
Located in the heart of Philadelphia, The Franklin Institute is a renowned and innovative leader in the field of science and technology learning, as well as a dynamic center of activity. Pennsylvania's most visited museum, it is dedicated to creating a passion for learning about science by offering access to hands-on science education. For more information, visit www.fi.edu.

SOURCE The Franklin Institute

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Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership Awarded $2.6 million from Prudential

Award allows Institute to continue being a resource to region's business, nonprofit, and academic communities

NEWARK, N.J., March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership (IEL) at Rutgers Business School has been awarded a $2.6 million donation from Prudential Financial, Inc. and The Prudential Foundation. The support allows IEL to continue serving nonprofit organizations, students, and business leaders with programs that reinforce the importance of ethical leadership.

Last year, more than 3,000 students and business and nonprofit leaders benefited from IEL programs, events, and resources. The Institute for Ethical Leadership combines academic research with practical training to strengthen current leaders and to prepare tomorrow's leaders for the complex ethical challenges they will encounter. IEL continues its ongoing training with the leaders of nonprofit organizations in Newark and the surrounding areas contributing to the health and vitality of the community.

The $2.6 million contribution includes a $850,000 three-year challenge grant from The Prudential Foundation. Each dollar of new and increased money the IEL raises will be matched by the Foundation with two dollars of support. The Prudential Foundation has made more than $1.5 million in grants to IEL since 2004 when it provided startup funding to create the Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Leadership at Rutgers University. IEL was created from that organization in 2008 with funding that was included in a $5 million Prudential contribution to Rutgers University.

"The Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership has emerged as a thought leader in values-based and ethical leadership within the nonprofit and business sectors.  Their work is important in preparing the next generation to accept leadership positions of greater responsibility," said Lata Reddy, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility at Prudential and President of The Prudential Foundation.  "IEL is an important institution and Prudential is pleased to help it build its capacity for long-term sustainability."

The grant will enable the IEL to continue its programs, including an annual Ethical Leadership Conference that attracts business, nonprofit, and academic leaders from across the country.  This year's conference, Ethics in Action: A Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility, will be held April 19 at the Newark Museum. The conference includes prestigious Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) leaders, a panel discussion with CSR experts, and highlights of successful social impact programs that provide valuable insight for leaders to integrate into their own CSR strategies.

"Prudential has a long-standing commitment to ethical leadership and social responsibility, and we are honored that the Company and Foundation chose to continue support at this level," said IEL co-founders James Abruzzo and Alex Plinio. "The development of ethical leadership requires a long-term commitment  and this grant will enable us to continue working with our fellow management service organizations as we continue to be a resource in the community," Abruzzo and Plinio concluded.

About the Institute for Ethical Leadership
The Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School works with business and government, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, and Rutgers University to provide individuals with the education, training, and critical-thinking tools needed to become more effective leaders and managers and make ethical decisions for real-world challenges.  For more information, visit www.business.rutgers.edu/iel.

About Prudential
Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader with approximately $1.060 trillion of assets under management as of December 31, 2012, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century.  For more information, please visit http://www.news.prudential.com/.  The Prudential Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, a subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc.

SOURCE Rutgers Business School

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